(Feb 19, 2019) JU signs agreement with IBA Ethiopia a Norwegian based company engaged in providing business and investment consulting, training and mentoring services to business startups and entrepreneurs, organizing and hosting business , investment and entrepreneurship related events as well as setting up and running business, investment and entrepreneurship excellence and training centers.
Also currently the company is involved setting up an independent business accelerator in Ethiopia (IBA Ethiopia) through which it conducts all its businesses with the purpose to support and accelerate local and international investments by focusing on the on Start-ups accelerator (Commercialization of start-ups), Investment scale-up, Business incubation and Investment facilitation services (Investment support)
The agreement aims at establishing Public-Private Partnership between the two parties for the purpose of facilitation, commercialization and acceleration of investments on start-ups that are incubated by JU’s staff members and students. It also targets the promotion of JU’s graduates and young innovators to transform their creativities into profitable business ventures by linking them with potential investors from local and abroad. This whole process will finally leads to Enable commercialization of creative ideas, self-employment, and transfer of technology, as well as create managerial and financial capability.
The agreement is signed by the representatives of the two institutions, Mr. Kora Tushune, acting president of JU and Mr. Ayalew Gizaw CEO of IBA Ethiopia.
Mr. Kora, during the signing ceremony, underlined the importance of such initiatives in encouraging young innovators to help them realize their vision of setting up their own companies based on the products they innovated which usually remain shelved unless and otherwise provided with financial and technical assistance. He mentioned several such projects which are created by JU students and staff members but couldn’t be fully operational due to lack of sufficient support and attention. Vow
Mr. Ayalew on the other hand provided detailed description of the opportunities available with IBA and the activities to be done as a follow up of the signing of the MoU. Finally he vowed to vigorously work with JU towards realizing the aims and objectives of the agreement.
